Believe it or not, basketball was once considered a dull sport. But that all changed in 1954, when the owner of an Upstate New York NBA team first introduced the shot clock. As we continue to Explore New York, Elizabeth Jeneault shares how the history of that game changing move has been kept alive by the city he called home.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Whether it counts down 35, 30 or 24 seconds, the shot clocks importance stays the same. It's one of the most vital aspects of basketball and it was all started by Danny Biasone, who sought to speed up the sports pace.

"How many sports use a shot clock or some sort of clock within their sport? So, everyone can identify," said John Rathbun, of the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame. "You can go to a basketball game in Oklahoma City or you can go to a basketball game in Sacramento, California and you're going to see a shot clock there. So people wonder, where did that originate from?"

The answer is in Syracuse, at what was once known as the Blodgett Elementary School. During a 1954 scrimmage inside the buildings walls, the owner of the Syracuse Nationals first put the shot clock to use. It was adopted by the NBA that same year and the original clock is still in existance, on display at Le Moyne College.

"I think that having the shot clock on display at Le Moyne College serves as a link to our past here in Syracuse," said Kim McAuliff, Le Moyne College's director of alumni and parent programs. "And, I think people are amazed when they walk up and say, 'wow, I didn't know that came from Syracuse."

The community raised tens of thousands of dollars to build a replica of the original downtown, so that anyone who visits Syracuse has a chance to learn about it.

"I think that for people that are traveling into the Syracuse area and they learn a little bit about the history of our community, I think they have a little more appreciation for what Syracuse is all about and how important sports is for our community," said Rathbun.

The hope is that as more learn about the shot clock's origin, they'll think of Syracuse every time it begins to count down.